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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Netherlands after US approved sending Dutch F-16 jets to Ukraine

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday, two days after the country said the United States had given its approval for Dutch and Danish authorities to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine’s air force.Zelenskyy is meeting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at a military air base in the southern city of Eindhoven. The Ukrainian leader was in Sweden a day earlier.The U.S. approval Friday for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver American-made F-16s to Ukraine was seen as a major boost for Kyiv, even though the fighter jets won’t have an impact any time soon on the almost 18-month war.Ukraine has long pleaded for the sophisticated fighter to give it a combat edge. It recently launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive against the Kremlin’s forces without air cover, placing its troops at the mercy of Russian aviation and artillery. The Dutch and Danish governments are also involved in a coalition that is working to t...

Readers and writers: Something for everyone in memoirs and nonfiction

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

Three memoirs recalling very different lives, stories based on Native American history, and humans in nature. There’s something for every reader today.Memoir“The Unlikely Village of Eden”: by Emma Nadler (Central Recovery Press, $19.95)Author Emma Nadler.“Perfectionism was my native language,” Minnesota psychotherapist  Emma Nadler writes in her wise, funny, sometimes heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful memoir about being a caregiver to her daughter Eden. Her child’s disabilities are related to a rare genetic condition that required around-the-clock care. But perfectionists think they should do it all, and Nadler had to learn to accept help from a “village” of family, friends and medical personnel.One of Eden’s caretakers’ biggest issues was learning to handle her feeding tube, which she needed for years. She also wore a helmet to protect her head. Yet Eden endured every medical procedure and survived. The little girl was ...

Literary calendar for week of Aug. 20

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

MINNESOTA MYSTERY NIGHT: Hosts Minnesotan Mindy Mejia discussing her widely praised new thriller “To Catch a Storm,” first in a series featuring Eve Roth, a physicist who studies storms, and Jonah Kendrick, a psychic detective who finds lost people through his dreams. Meija, president of the Mystery Writers of America-Midwest, is a CPA when she isn’t writing bestsellers. She will be joined by Minnesota humorist Gretchen Anthony, whose novels include “Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners.” 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, Axel’s Restaurant, 1318 Sibley Memorial Highway, Mendota. Free, but reservations are necessary. Call 651-686-1840 regarding the program or for a dinner reservation; seating begins at 5 p.m. (Meija will also be a guest at noon Friday, Aug. 25, at Comma, A Bookstore, 4250 Upton Ave. S., Mpls.)PROUTY/NINZER: Jo Prouty signs copies of “Love of a Dog” and Sara Nintzel signs the children’s flip book “The House We Shelt...

Literary pick for Aug. 20

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

A day at the Minnesota State Fair. What could be a better way to celebrate the end of summer? Before or after the kids’ fair fun, they can live the experience in “The Great Get-Together,” written by Karlyn Coleman and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld (Minnesota Historical Society Press, $17.95).Beginning when the Fair’s gates open in the morning, this lively picture book takes readers through all the things we love about the Fair, from rides (“… Laughter falling from the sky./Legs dangling from above.”) to “Wood Carvings,/blown glass, art made out of seeds…” and “Games of skill./Games of Chance.” Don’t forget animals, vegetables and tractors. And nobody forgets the Fair’s food.Games, prizes and quiet reading places are part of the Minnesota State Fair’s Alphabet Forest, with local authors reading every day of the Fair. (Courtesy of the Minnesota State Fair)Coleman and Doerrfeld will be featured at...

Dakota activists work with city to preserve burial mounds in St. Paul

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

When Crystal Norcross joined the Greater East Side Community Council more than a decade ago, she was handed a flier that noted St. Paul had raised money to install a splash pad at Indian Mounds Regional Park.Norcross, a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota, raised concerns to the council about the new park installments on her ancestors’ burial land.“I asked, ‘Would you add that to your cemetery? You act respectful in cemeteries, so can our ancestors get that respect?’” she said.Norcross’ question jumpstarted a 10-year effort to better preserve the historic and sacred grounds in partnership with the city. Today, she continues to rally for the space to be treated as a cemetery, not a park.When Norcross first suggested the splash pad would be inappropriate, she was met with a lot of tension, she said.“It was hard, because people were really attached to this space as a park,” she said. “It’s where they walked their dog or went sledding.”Norcro...

Skywatch: Celestial congestion

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

The Great Hercules Star Cluster is one of the true treasures of the summer and early autumn sky. It’s a dense cluster of stars all crammed together in a tight sphere that you’ll love directing your telescope to again and again. As with many celestial treasures, you’ll have to dig for it a bit, but this treasure hunt is certainly worth it. This cluster is one of the true jewels of the heavens.The Hercules Cluster, known formally as Messier Catalog Object number 13 or M13, is not visible to the naked eye. You should be able to hunt it down with a decent pair of binoculars or a small telescope. It’s best seen in the generally darker skies of the suburbs or countryside. At the end of evening twilight, M-13 is on the west side of the faint constellation Hercules. The easiest way to find it is to face west and look up for the two brightest stars you can see in the western sky, Vega and Arcturus. Vega will be the higher of the two. Draw a line between Vega and Arcturus. M13 will be about t...

Here’s your day-by-day guide to free fun at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

Grab that corn dog and put on your walking shoes — State Fair season is upon us.Alongside hundreds of vendors and a nightly lineup of Grandstand shows, there’s plenty to do for free at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. The fair’s online calendar contains more than 3,700 listings for activities, games, concerts and performances during all 12 days of the fair. Want to see them all? The searchable schedule is at mnstatefair.org/schedule/.Yes, it can be overwhelming — and the State Fair is stepping up its sensory-friendly and disability accommodations this year. A restroom facility with additional space and equipment for wheelchair users and a sensory-support “oasis” staffed by Fraser-trained volunteers are both open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (8 p.m. on Labor Day).To help your State Fair experience run smoothly, here’s a day-by-day guide: Each day’s special discounts and themes, plus a selection of free events and concerts worth checking out. I’ll see you on the Giant Slide!THURSDAY, Aug. ...

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter wants a new sales tax to fund road reconstruction. How much does St. Paul already spend on roads, anyway?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

Mayor Melvin Carter wants to increase the city’s sales tax to raise $1 billion over 20 years, mostly to rebuild 44 miles of St. Paul’s busiest streets.The plan, which goes before voters in November, would more than double the amount of local money St. Paul has been spending annually to reconstruct its crumbling roads.“We are at a point where things start to go downhill very rapidly,” said Public Works Director Sean Kershaw. “We need at least $30 million more a year to get caught up on our arterial and collector street reconstructions. We should be replacing these streets every 65 years, and we’re on a schedule that’s double that.”A “pavement condition index” gives St. Paul streets an average rating of 49 out of 100. At this rate, they’re projected to fall to 29 — considered “very poor” — within 20 years, according to St. Paul Public Works. Even the best parts of Summit Avenue rate in the 30s.Kershaw aims t...

Ask Amy: Family favoritism extends to estate

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

Dear Amy: My husband and I have four adult children, all in college. I am the main breadwinner as a professional and business owner. My husband makes one-third of my income.My husband’s brother has made mistakes in his life, the main one being to marry an unstable, unpredictable, and irresponsible woman.She alienated him from the rest of us and was very unkind to me, specifically.They have one daughter, “Kristen.” (She has other children she doesn’t see and didn’t raise.) She does not work and spends selfishly and lavishly.My mother-in-law has always favored Kristen, but is a wonderful presence for all of her grandchildren.My mother-in-law now wants to transfer the family vacation cottage to my husband, while leaving the rest of her estate to his brother.This transfer will cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and taxes.We have agreed to take this on to keep the cottage in the family. We have been managing and investing in its improvements for the last few years. Our chil...

Horoscopes Aug. 20, 2023: Amy Adams, don’t try to buy trust and popularity

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:39 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Misha Collins, 49; Amy Adams, 49; Billy Gardell, 54; Al Roker, 69.Happy Birthday: Monitor what’s happening this year and position yourself for success. Follow the trends and talk to the experts. The preparation you do will pay off and give you the confidence to offer sage advice to those you want by your side. Don’t try to buy trust and popularity; earn respect and your way to the top with honesty, empathy and hard work. Your numbers are 4, 10, 18, 23, 29, 38, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Concentrate on being your best. Make exercise and a positive attitude your goals, and refuse to engage in risky activities. Make the right decisions, and you’ll be happy with yourself and achieve peace of mind. Don’t be a martyr. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Connect with people who have something to offer. The insight you receive will help you redirect your skills and attributes where they will bring the highest returns. Think big, but don&...